William Faulkner's story "Barn Burning" occurs in the fictive Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. It is a story set in the 1930's, a decade of the Great Depression when social and economic problems existed. "Barn Burning" is a story about social inequality, in particular with the rich land owning family de Spain in contrast to the poor tenant farming ways of the Sartoris family.

Abner is the father in the family. He is a cold deviant man. His family is constantly moving around because of the violent crimes he commits. This creates external conflict between Abner and de Spain. Out of this argument arises Sarty's argument, that deals with sticking to both his morals and loyal ties to his family.

Abner has been tried once before for the burning of Mr. Harris' barn. This might have been Abner raging against economic inequality. He is a poor white tenant farmer with...